Definition
Blackout (Coverall)
Also known as Coverall, Cover All, Full Card, Blackout Bingo
By Abhinav VasudevanReviewed Editorial policy
In short
A blackout requires marking every number on a 75-ball bingo card. It is the hardest pattern and carries the largest prize, usually with a jackpot attached for completing it within a set number of calls.
A blackout covers the whole card. All 24 numbers on a 75-ball grid, with the free centre square counting as marked.
It is the 75-ball equivalent of a full house in the British game.
Call requirements
Covering 24 numbers from a pool of 75 takes a long time. Typical completion sits between 60 and 70 calls, and the theoretical minimum is 24.
Because it takes most of the available numbers, blackout games are usually the last game of a session and carry the largest prize.
Progressive jackpots
Almost every blackout game has a jackpot attached to speed:
- Complete the blackout in 50 calls or fewer → jackpot
- Otherwise → standard prize
The threshold typically rises by one call each day the jackpot goes unwon, which is why a long-running progressive eventually becomes winnable. A jackpot at 55 calls is a very different proposition from one at 45.
This structure is worth understanding: it is the one point in bingo where the expected value genuinely improves over time, because the accumulated jackpot was funded by previous sessions rather than the current one.
Variants
- Standard blackout: every number
- Double blackout: cover two cards completely
- Speed blackout: rapid calling, shorter games
- Blackout with wild number: the first number called marks every number on the card ending in the same digit, dramatically accelerating the game
The wild number variant is common in American halls and changes the maths substantially, it effectively gives you around nine numbers free at the start.
Terminology
Coverall is the more common term in American bingo halls; blackout is used interchangeably and is standard online. Both describe the same thing.
Common questions
How many calls does a blackout take?
Typically 60 to 70, since you need 24 numbers from a pool of 75. The theoretical minimum is 24. Blackout games are usually last in a session and carry the largest prize.
Why do blackout jackpot thresholds rise each day?
Because the call requirement loosens by one each day the jackpot goes unwon, eventually reaching a point where it becomes realistically winnable. The accumulated pool was funded by earlier sessions, so expected value genuinely improves.